Page 21 of Fenrir

Fenrir pried her fingers from her face that she was pretty sure resembled a tomato.

He laced his fingers into hers. “I’ve never kissed a woman before either. Or a guy.”

Grace couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t have to say that to make me feel better.”

His eyebrows slammed together. “I told you I hate lying.”

She blinked several times, trying to process his words. “But surely you’ve… you know… had sex before.”

He swallowed hard, and a strange expression crossed his rugged features. “No.”

No? What did he mean, no?

“No? As in… you’ve never had sex? Not once? Not even in… wolf form?”

“Not with anyone. In any form.”

She opened her mouth but then closed it again.

“This surprises you,” he said.

She nodded. “You’re a thousand years old. Haven’t you ever loved someone?”

He shook his head.

Her chest constricted, and sadness wracked her. A thousand years and never once had he been in love. Or even just had sex with someone for companionship or comfort. Or hell for need.

Grace turned her face and kissed his knuckles. The scent of blood tickled her nose, and she looked at his hand. She gasped and gripped his fingers.

“Your hand. What happened?”

Fenrir looked at it and pulled his hand away, shame marring his face. “It’s nothing. It’ll heal within the hour.”

Grace reached for his hand, but he put it behind his back.

Anger flared inside her, and she growled. “I want to see.”

He slowly pulled his hand from behind his back and held it out to her.

Grace’s mouth fell open. All five of his knuckles were split open and scabbed. She grabbed his other hand. The other was the same, except that two of his fingernails were split down to the bed.

“Fenrir!”

“It happens all the time.”

“All the time?” She stared up at him. “What do you mean all the time?”

“I… It comes with the territory.”

“What territory? Cage fighting?”

Fenrir looked away. “Something like that.”

Grace growled and pulled his face back, forcing him to look at her. “I want you to tell me. I want you to tell me everything,” she said soothingly.

CHAPTER9

Fenrir’s mindclashed with his beast. His beast told him to tell her. That she was the one. She’d hear him, and she wouldn’t run away. But his mind screamed at him not to tell her. That he was a monster and the moment she found out the truth about him she’d run horrified to the other end of the world to escape him.

---